Combined blow-out patch and plug



Jan. 2, 1934. T. w. MULLEN 1,942,116

COMBINED BLOW-OUT PATCH AND PLUG Filed NOV. 20 1931 BYMQO,

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES COMBINED BLOW-OUT PATCH AND PLUG Thomas W. Mullen, El Dorado, Ark.

Application November 20, 1931 Serial No. 576,360

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic tire repairing, and the objects thereof are as follows:-

First, to provide a blow-out repairing device which comprises a combined patch and plug, the double purpose of the plug being to provide a closure for the hole and to serve as an anchor to keep the patch centered about the injury both in mounting the device and in its subsequent use.

Second, to provide a blow-out plug with a relatively large foundation, capable of extending over and covering a large area in the region of the injury thereby to insure a large area of contact of the inflated inner tube and prevent any possibili- 115- ty of the plug being biown out of the hole.

725- the plug from falling out of the hole under any circumstance. v

Fifth, to embody inelastic tension elements in the head of the button so as to stretch or constrict both the elastic neck or plug and parts of 'the button head during the act of pulling or working said head and plug thru the hole.

Sixth, to facilitate the application of the combined plug and patch, more specifically to facilitate the pulling thru of the so-called button, by first rounding or otherwise shaping the hole into a substantially symmetrical contour so that the plug will have a substantially uniform circumferential contact with the hole and that the fiange of the button head will have a substantially even bearing on the casing in the immediate vicinity of the hole.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a cross section of a tire casing illustrating the application of several of the combined blow-out patches and plugs,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one form of the invention,

Figure 3 is a vertical section thereof,

Figure 4 is a plan View of the combined blowout patch and plug illustrating a modification in the shape of the button to accommodate an elongated hole,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View illustrating a modification wherein the pull stem is omitted and cords substituted therefor,

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating a further modification in the mode of application of the foregoing cords, 90

Figure 7 is a detail cross section illustrating ay type of blow-out patch and plug wherein any kind of a pulling device is omitted, v

Figure 8 is an elevation of a further modification of the invention confined solely to the combination of Va blow-out patch and plug, thereby omitting both the button head and pulling device,

Figure 9 is a fractional viewA of a tire casing i1- lustrating two usual types of holes.

The fundamental purpose of the invention is that of affording a repair to an injured automobile or other pneumatic tire casing. It is not intended to restrict the invention toV use in connection with pneumatic automobile tires, but for the purpose of explaining one embodiment of the invention the latter is illustrated in connection with an automobile tire.

It seems needless to explain in detail the gen-- eral purpose of a casing repairing device. Nearly every one is familiar with blow outs. These are caused by a weakening of the Walls of the casing so that the inner tube ruptures by virtue of the superior internal air pressure and in blowing out causes a tear Vin the casing wall which varies in size in some agreement with the lack of strength of the casing. Y

In circumstances such as related above it is often the practice to employ what is known as a blow-out patch. These patches have an adhesive on one surface tending to keep the patch in place against the inside of the casing. However, as a matter of fact the slipping of the blowout patches out of position is a most common occurrence so that there is always present the like-- lihood of the tire or hole becoming uncovered and the possibility of a second rupture in the inner tube.

There are other blow-out patches which include a small patch of sealing gum, the idea of which is to Work up into the hole by virtue of the internal air pressure against the patch, and so seal the hole. But here as in the instance'already mentioned, there is nothing to prevent the blow-out patch from slipping out of position.

If the foregoing statements of the objects of the invention may be summarized, the yfundamental purpose is to combine the customary type of blow-out patch with a plug so that the two may work together, one to the benefit of the other to the ends that the plug will anchor the patch in position so that it cannot slip in any direction, and that the patch may cover so large an area of the casing in the region of the hole that there never will be any likelihood of the internal air pressure pushing the plug out of the hole like a cork from a bottle.

Reference is now made to the drawing. The invention comprises a patch foundation 1 which may be regarded as of any known construction of blow-out patch. This patch is of a laminated formation, there being alternate layers of rubber 2 and fabric or cord 3 as plainly shown in Figure 3. pared with the button which will presently be described. The edges of the patch 1 are skived at 4 to a feather edge in accordance with practice.

The foregoing patch is the foundation for a base 5 of rubber or other yieldable material which is capable of being vulcanized at 6 to the top of the patch 1. Usually the base 5 will be centered on the patch 1, but if practice should demand an off center relationship of the base 5 it is to be understood that such variation is within the purview of the invention. The top of the base 5 slants upwardly into mergence with Aa` neck 'I which is herein known as the plug because it is this part which does the filling of the hole 9 in the tire casing 8 (Figs. 1 and 9). The combination of the patchl and neck 7 should be clearly understood. Figure 3 (for example) illustrates superimposed additions to the plug 7, but in some instances, these additions may be left off as shown in Figure 8, thus confining the repairing device' to a plain plug 7 of relatively small size when going enlargement.

compared with the patch 1 with which it is integrally connected. p

Thus far it will be understood that when the plug 7 is inserted in a hole in the casing 8, such as at 9 in Figure 1, it will serve as an anchor to prevent the patch l-from slipping in any radial direction in reference to the axis of the plug. This is an important function of the plug inasmuch as by itsoperation the patch 1 is prevented from leaving the injured area, as is customary with known patches, and thereby laying the tire open to a recurrence of the blowing out of the inner tube.

The patch 1 also serves a particular purpose in reference to the plug '7. If the plug 7 were inserted in the hole 9 alone, or even provided with an enlargement of some kind on the inside, there would always be the possibility of the internal air pressure becoming great enough, or the rim of the hole becoming weak enough to permit the plug to be shot out of the hole. The patch l is so large in area that this contingency will never happen.

(The largeness of the patch is not to be regarded as a mere matter of degree in respect to the fore- The largeness of the patch extends the bearing of the inflated inner tube over so wide an area that the plug 7 will be rigidly held in the hole with no chance of its being forced out as is possible with known types "I of plugs.

Now reverting to the arrangement in Figure 3, it will be observed that the previously mentioned superstructure comprises a head 10 with which there is connected a pull stem 11. This stem is provided for the purpose of pulling the head 10 thru the hole 9 until the head rests on the outside of the casing 8 (Fig. 1) while the patch 1 rests on the inside. Usually the pull stem 11 is composed of the same material as the base 5, plug 7 and head 10, namely rubber.

This patch is relatively large when com-v But there are certain important variations which not only make the pull stem more eifective but which also facilitate the pulling thru of the head il). One variation, as in the instance in Figure 3, is the embodiment of a plurality of inelastic tension elements 12 in the head 10 and pull stem 11.

The idea of these elements is not thereinforcement of the pull stem because it has been demonstrated that a pull stem without such elements will work time and time again in the operation of pulling the head 10 thru a hole without giving any .sign of separating from the head. But when pulling on the stem 11 the rubber stretches, and considerable force is required to pull the over sized head l() thru the hole.

By carrying the elements 12 (Fig. 3) down into the head 10 to points near the periphery of the flange 13, the pull on the stem 1l is transferred to the iiange. The result of this transference of the pull is a stretching of the neck or plug 7 and also a drawing up or constriction of the peripheral parts of the head 10 in a measure reducing the size ofthe plug 7 and head 10 whereby the entrance into and passage thru of these parts in respect to the hole 9 is greatly facilitated. Theprovision of the inelastic tension elements makes possible a reduction in the manual force required to pull the device in place on the casing.

One of the Variations of the foregoing arrangement resides in the use of the inelastic tension elements alone without the pull stem r11. This variation is pictured in Figure 5. f Here the top of the head 10 is level or substantially so. The elements l2 are embodied in the head as before butthe ends come out perfectly loose so that the user may either grip the elements in his hand or put some instrument thru the loops so as not to cut his ngers while performing the pulling thru operation.

In Figure 5 the elements emerge from the head l() in a bunch, so to speak, in the substantial center of the head. Figure 6 illustrates a third Variation wherein the inelastic elements, again denoted 12, emerge from the periphery of the flange 13. It is easy to understand that when a pull is exercised on the elements l2 (Fig. 6) in the direction of the arrow 14, the peripheral portions of the harige 13 will be drawn up somewhat as indicated by the dotted lines 15. At the same time the neck or plug '7 will be stretched, and with this operation respecting Figure 6 in mind it is easy to visualize the foregoing statement that the flange of the head 10 is constricted while stretching the neck or plug 7, thereby facilitating the pulling thru operation.

Attention is next directed to Figure 7. This illustrates a feature which, next to the broadest aspect of the invention in Figure 8, makes the blow-out patch 1 distinctive over all known types. The plug 7 and head 10 dene what is herein known as a button, this button being generally denoted 16 in all of the views excepting Figures 3 and 9. The patch 1 may thus be characterized as having a button. The patch is capable of being buttoned to the casing 8 just as one might button a part of a garment to another.

supposing the casing 8 to have a hole 9 and the requirement to be the addition of a blow-out patch to reinforce the injured area,the invention enables the mere buttoning on, so to speak, of the blow-out patch l. It is conceivable that the principle of the invention may be carried out without a pulling device of any sort. The

button 16 can be worked thru the hole 9 so that the plug 7 will serve its purpose as a closure for the hole 9 and an anchor for the patch 1, and it will not always be necessary to include a pulling device in the combination as already pointed out. Figure 7, therefore, illustrates that typeof the invention where a pulling device of any sort is omitted.

Here as well as in Figures 3 and 5 it is to be noted that the nether side of the head 10 is concaved at 17. There is a purpose in this concave. When the plug '7 is once established in the hole it has a tendency to contract lengthwise (after having been stretched in the pulling thru process) and will flatten the concave 17 against the outer .surface of the casing 8. This flattening will produce a perfect seal-off, guarding against the admission of moisture and other foreign matter. Should the head 10 be applied to a decidedly curved part of the casing, the concavity 17 will function to cause the feather edge oi the ilange 13 to adapt itself perfectly to the curved contour.

The sealing-oir" of the flange 13 of the head 10 as well as the anchoring quality oi the plug '7 is augmented by an adhesive coating 18 which covers the exposed top surface of the patch, extends over the base 5 and continues around into the concavity 17 whence it protrudes a slight distance at 19 beyond the feather edge of the flange 13. The adhesive is thus carried slightly beyond the flange and serves in the capacity of a sealing approach to the ange. The adhesive may comprise the cementitious sub-stance with which blow-out patches are usually coated or it may consist of a coating of vulcanizable rubber.

Figure 9 is intended to illustrate two of the most frequent types of blow outs. The rst type, denoted 20 is in the general form of an X. The second type 21 is of an elongated configuration. Of course there is no-unifcrmity in the types of blow outs because there' is no rule that governs the shape of the aperture. But in all instances the edges of the aperture are very ragged, portions of rubber and fabric protruding to make a very unsightly hole.

In order to facilitate the introduction of the button 16 the iirst step will be to unify the contour of the blow-o-ut. In the instance of the blow-out 20 the hole will be enlarged into a circle 22. In theinstance of the blow-'out 21 the hole will be enlarged into an oval 23. In practice there will be provided, largely for the use of garages and others handling tire repairs on a large scale, a template or templates having several sizes of round and oval holes. One of the templates will be laid against the casing with one of its holes of the proper size over the blown out hole so that the rim of the hole in the template can be used as a guide for a pencil or the like to inscribe a circular or oval mark around the blow-out for the later cutting out of the bad place with a sharp knife.

It is important not to leave corners or tears in the hole which might later become the starting place for an enlargement of the tear. A round hole or one with no corners or tears offers greater resistance of the further tearing of the casing wall than a slit. lIhe trimming out of the hole is thus not merely to accommodate the plug but particularly to prevent the later spreading of the hole.

The type of plug 7 in the majority of the views is round in cross section to t the circular hole 22 (Fig. 9). For the purpose of the oval hole 23 the plug '7 will be made oval as shown in Figure 4. In its other respects, Figure 4 may be otherwise identical with the type of repairing device in any of the other -modications of the invention.

For example, if the button 16 is employed without any kind of a IpullingV device (Fig. '7) the cross section of the plug '7 may be oval, nevertheless.l

Attention is again directed to Figure l. The purpose of this illustration is to show that it is immaterial where the blow-out may have occurred insofar as the application ofthe repairing device is concerned. The hole 9 may be located well up the side of the casing as at the left of Figure 1 or it may be located near the rim 90 as at the right side. Should there be a tread low-out it is only necessary to cut away enough of the tread design to provide a substantially level resting place for the flange 13 of the button head.

The operation May be briefly summarized. The repairing device is primarily intended to be applied to the casing 8 from the inside. Assuming the blow-out 100 to be of the shape denoted at 2G in Figure 9, the first act will be to inscribe a circle 22 therearound and then cut out a circular hole. Either the pull stem 11 (Figures 2 and 3) or the tension elements 12 (Figures 5 and 6) is or are in- 165 sert-ed thru the hole 9 and pulled uponk u ntil the button 16 comes thru.

The inelastic tension elements 12 serve to constrict the flange 13 of the button head (Fig. 6) as well as to stretch the plug '7 to some degree. 110 This facilitates the pulling thru operation, and whenthe pull is relaxed the plug will return to its former dimensions, pressing outwardly-against the rim of the hole, while the feather edge of the flange 13V will settle down in tight contact with the outer wall of the casing. After the device has been pulled into iinal position either the pull stem 1l or the inelastic elements 12 are cut off ush with the top of the button head 10.

It has been explained that certain surfaces of the repairing device -are coated with an adhesive 18. Even though the adhesive were not present or should in time lose its adhesive quality, the button 16 would function, nevertheless, to prevent the patch 1 from dropping away from the casing. It has already been pointed out by virtue oi the large size of the pat-ch 1 that therel is never any possibility of the plug '7 being blown out of the hole. Y

From what has been said before it will be understood that the invention comprises a new article of manufacture. It is of course known that blow-out patches are old. The practice of using plugs as closures for small holes Ais also old. But as far as is known it has never been contemplated to use a plug as the closure for a large hole in a tire casing, such las would be causedby a blow-out. Here the use of the plug alone would not work because, as brought out before, the internal air pressure would expel the plug. But by combining the plug with the blowout patch there has been brought about a new combination wherein there is a mutual coaction between the plug and blow-out patch respectively to prevent the plug from being expelled and to prevent the falling away of the patch.

I claim:-

1. A device for repairing the casing of a tire comprising a plug to lill a hole in the casing, and a regular blow-out patch to which the plug is 1'50 attached at the inner end, said patch extending across the end of the plug With undiminished thickness thereby protecting the plug With the full cross section of the patch.

2. A device for repairing the casing of a tire comprising a regular blow-out patch applicable to the casing, a button' carried by the patch to secure it on the inside of the casing said button comprising a yielding plug to ll a hole in the casing and an attached yielding head having a ange extending beyond the'plug to overlap the hole, and inelastic means to be used in pulling the button through the hole, said means extending to points of connection at the periphery of the flange thereby transferring the pull to said periphery and constricting the flange While stretching the plug thus to facilitate Working the button through the hole.

3. A device for repairing the casing of a tire comprising a regular blow-out patch, an attached button having a pull stem all being of yieldable material, and inelastic elements incorporated in the pull stem and extending into the body of the button thereby preventing stretching of the pull stem and transferring the stretching to the button thereby facilitating Working the button through a hole in the casing.

4. A device for closing a hole in a tire casing comprising a plug of yieldable material to ll the hole, a member on one end of the plug to overlap the hole and engage the inside of the casing, a head on the other end of the plug also to overlap the hole and engage the outside of the casing, and inelastic means anchored Within the confines of the head to constrict portions of the head and to stretch the plug While Working the head and plug through the hole to a final closing position.

5. A device for repairing a tire casing comprising a regular laminated blow-out patch, a base of vulcanizable material vulcanized onto the patch to constitute a homogeneous structure, a plug with which the base merges, said plug and base being underlaid by the full cross section of the patch, and a butt-on head on the plug.

6. A tire casing repairing device comprising a plug to ll a hole in said casing, an extended base on one end of the plug, and a tire patch connected with the nether side of the base, said patch including fabric layers extending continuously in the direction of the base to provide an underlying inelastic support for preventing extrusion of the plug and stretching of the base.

7. A tire casing repairing device comprising a foundation, a plug carried by said foundation to fill a hole in said casing, and a head on the plug, the nether side of the head and Wall of the plug having a fully rounded annular concavity. A

8. A tire casing repairing device comprising an elastic base to contact the interior of the casing, an integral elastic plug to ll a hole in said casing, and a head on the plug to contact the exterior of the casing, the nether side of the head and Wall of the plug being cross sectionally dished and merging into the top surface of the base, said dishing providing a fully rounded annular concavity.

9. A tire casing repairing device comprising a foundation, a plug carried by said foundation, and an elastic head on the plug, said head having an annular flange internally rolled cross sec-y tionally in the direction of the base so that the peripheral edges of Ysaid iiange normally come close to the base.

10. A patch of fabric-rubber construction to lie against and reinforce the inner Wall of a tire casing, said patch being smooth-surfaced on each side and of large area relatively to the internal surface -of the casing, and a button on the patch, said button having a stubby neck integral With the patch and an overhanging head flange the rim of which comes close to the patch.

11. A device for repairing the casing of a tire comprising a headed plug to close and iill an openingin said casing, and a regular blow-out patch integrally attached to and underlying the inner end of the plug, said patch extending across the end of the plug with undiminished thickness thereby protecting the plug with the full cross section of the patch and providing a positive bridge across the opening.

12. A device for repairing the casing of a tire comprising `a headed plug to fill a rhole in the casing, and a patch to Which'the inner end of the plug is integrally attached, said patch loeing of a yielding but inelastic material to prevent extrusion of the patch, said patch providing a positive bridge across the hole. Y

13. A device for repairing the casing of a tire comprising a headed plug to fill va hole in the casing, and a patch to Which the inner end of the plug is integrally attached, said patch being of an inherently elastic material, and having means so reinforcing it as to render the patch inelastic to prevent its extrusion through the hole yet yielding to enable the patch to adapt itself to the interior of the casing and positively bridge the hole.

14. A device for repairing the casing of a tire comprising a relatively thin patch of any suitable material to be capable of reinforcing the inner Wall of the casing, and a headed plug integrally attached to the patch yto provide a positive anchorage for the patch When the plug is inserted in a hole in the casing.

THOMAS W. MULLEN.

EBU 

